The present invention relates generally to mobile telephone design, and more specifically to a folding mobile station having a dual-movement hinge that permits convenient access to various mobile phone features and portions of the display.
Mobile telephones are becoming more and more popular; in part this is due to their very nature. That is, they are not tied to a particular location, as is the case with most wireline telephones that are interconnected through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). In contrast, a mobile telephone is a wireless radio communication device that can be used to contact any one of many base stations that are distributed throughout a large geographic area, often called the network coverage area. The base stations are themselves connected to various switches so that call may be routed from one network subscriber to another, and to gateways so that network subscribers may send and receive calls with members of other networks as well. Perhaps a more significant reason for the current rise in mobile-telephone use is that rapid advances in technology have made them easier to use and more reliable. Some of these advances have occurred in the network, where connections are clearer and dropped less frequently than was the case when public land mobile networks (PLMNs) were in their infancy.
Many changes, however, have affected the mobile telephones themselves. Increasingly smaller, more efficient electrical components have permitted a drastic reduction in size. Only a short time ago, mobile telephones were relatively bulky, and were powered either by the battery of the automobile in which they were permanently installed, or by large xe2x80x98portablexe2x80x99 batteries that had to be carried around in a duffle bag. Today mobile phones are smaller than the hand of a typical user, including a battery that is capable of powering normal operation for hours, even days without a recharge. The efficiency of these instruments has increased so dramatically that not only are they smaller in size than their predecessors, they are also capable of performing far more functions. Some of these functions are relating directly to making and receiving calls, such as displaying the number dialed or the number of an incoming call, displaying received signal strength and communication mode (for example, analog or digital), and having adjustable alarms and ring tones. Other features are indirectly related, such as maintaining a telephone directory of numbers from which to select a party to callxe2x80x94even permitting the selection to be made by voice command. Some features and functions of modern mobile phones are not related to calling at all, such a calendaring and organizing or game playing. Some mobile phones even function as small personal computers, complete with the ability to download and display Web pages once a connection to the Internet has been established. These feature-rich mobile phones are provided with relatively large displays, typically liquid-crystal displays. They very often also require keypads more advanced than a traditional telephone having only a standard twelve-key set.
Mobile phone 100, for example, is a typical radio telecommunication device for use in a cellular communication network. It contains a radio transmitter and receiver (not shown) for sending transmissions to nearby base stations that are in turn connected with the main network. The network itself naturally provides for intra-network communication, and also includes gateways through which other networks, such as the public-switched telephone network (PSTN) and the Internet may be accessed. Mobile station 100 is most often used for real-time voice communication, but can be used for short-message-system (SMS) messaging, data transmission, Web surfing, and paging services as well.
The internal circuitry and components (not shown) of mobile phone 100 are contained in a casing, or enclosure, that typically includes two or more sections, which will sometimes herein be referred to as covers. Referring to FIG. 1, mobile phone 100 has an enclosure 101 that includes front cover 120 and back cover 122, which are removably fastened together at joint 105 when the phone is assembled. Front cover 120 and back cover 122 are not normally taken apart except for maintenance by a service technician. Front cover 120 and back cover 122 are normally made of a hard plastic material, such as polycarbonate/ABS (PC/ABS). This material is strong enough to protect the telephone internals from reasonable shock encountered in ordinary operation and to resist penetration by objects that it may encounter when placed in a user""s pocket, purse, or briefcase.
Several openings are formed in enclosure 101 of mobile phone 100, with most, though not necessarily all of them present in front cover 120. The keypad 110 on face 106 of front cover 120 is a user interface including a plurality of openings, through which protrude keys such as alphanumeric keys 112, call control keys 114, scroll key 115 and function keys 116. As their names imply, these keys perform various duties in the phone""s operation, with the alphanumeric keys 112 having a standard telephone keypad role, and the function and scroll keys used in connection with display 134. That is, the function of the function and scroll keys are variable and determined by the application state that the mobile phone is in, which is translated into a word or icon displayed next to the key on display 134.
Display 134 is typically a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. The LCD itself is protected by a plastic window pane 132, which is mounted to cover the display and protrude into window 130, an opening formed in front cover 120. As illustrated in FIG. 1, display 134 presents to the user such information as current function-key functions, telephone numbers, signal strength, and other information useful to the operation being performed. The protective window pane 132 is typically a component separate from the LCD, its chassis, and other portions of the internal assembly. Window pane 132 is necessary because the components making up the LCD are fragile and subject to damage from even mild strikes. Also formed in face 106 of front cover 120 is a small opening for power switch 118 and a plurality of small openings 142 that serve as a port for the speaker (not shown), which is mounted beneath them. At the opposite end of mobile station 100, microphone port 144 likewise permits entry of sound directed at the actual microphone (not shown) mounted inside.
Located in the end 107 of enclosure 101 are power port 146 for plugging in an external power adaptor and headphone port 145 for connecting an external headset and perhaps a microphone for hands-free operation. Power port 146 and headphone port 145 are receptacles for connecting (plugging in) an external appliance to the internal circuitry of mobile station 100. These receptacles are mounted within the mobile station""s internal assembly (not shown) and are accessible from the outside through openings formed in end 107 of enclosure 101. When not using externally supplied power; the mobile station receives power from battery 124, which is removably attached to back cover 122.
The mobile phone 100 of FIG. 1 is just one current design. One available alternative (not shown) modifies the design of mobile phone 100 to add a protective cover attached to phone by a hinge in such a way that it may be rotated into a closed position covering the keys, or covering the display, or both. The cover may extend from the bottom of the phone and include a microphone so that when the cover is open the microphone is advantageously positioned.
In another currently available alternative design, the mobile-phone enclosure is divided into two sections connected electrically and mechanically with a hinge. Often, one section will contain the LCD and the other a keypad, both features being accessible when the phone is open, but not when it is folded shut. Such a phone is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, which are isometric views of a typical folding mobile phone shown in its open and closed configurations, respectively. Referring to FIG. 2A, mobile phone 200 has a first section 210 and a second section 250, the two sections being connected by a hinge 275. First section 210 includes an LCD 217, which is visible when the phone is open through a clear protective window pane 215. In FIG. 2A, speaker port 220 is visible just above the LCD 217.
Second section 250 includes the keypad 260, made up in this example of alphanumeric keys, call control keys, and a scroll key. Microphone port 255 is formed in the end of second section 250 that is opposite, when the phone is in an open configuration, to the end of first section 210 forming speaker port 220. The two sections are rotateably held together by hinge 275. Hinge 275 is made up of hinge sleeves 276 and 277 extending from first section 210, which interlock with hinge sleeves 278 and 279 extending from second section 250. The hinge sleeves collectively form an axial opening through which extends hinge pin 280.
The first section 210 and second section 250 rotate toward each other about hinge pin 280 until they meet, as shown in FIG. 2B. When in the closed configuration of FIG. 2B, power supply port 240 and external headphone port 245 remain accessible, but the LCD 210 and keypad 260 are protected. The folded phone may therefore safely be placed in a pocket, purse, or holder, but its keys and display are largely unusable when it is in this configuration. In contrast, the keys and display of mobile phone 100 shown in FIG. 1 are always accessible, but more prone to certain types of damage. Needed is a mobile station that both provides convenient feature accessibility and reduces the risk of damage. The present invention provides just such a device.
The present invention is directed to a mobile station having a dual movement hinge. The mobile station includes two enclosure sections, each housing certain of the mobile station""s internal components. The mobile station has a display that is hidden when the mobile station is folded into the protective, or closed position by rotating the enclosure sections with respect to each other about the hinge. The hinge includes at least two sleeves that each form an opening for receiving a hinge pin, each sleeve being attached to or formed with one or the other enclosure section. The hinge is operable not only to permit rotation of the two sections, but to permit them to slide longitudinally, that is, along the hinge pin, into a limited-open configuration where the user is able to view a portion of the display. The invention may also include a stop mechanism to prevent excessive longitudinal movement and a spring to longitudinally bias the two enclosure sections relative to each other.